NEW YORK (AP) Star goalie Carey Price exited with a recurring injury, but Devante Smith-Pelly and Alex Galchenyuk scored in the opening 1:29 of the third period as the Montreal Canadiens beat the New York Rangers 5-1 Wednesday in a matchup of the top two teams in the NHL’s Eastern Conference.
Smith-Pelley had two goals. Sven Andrighetto and Max Pacioretty also scored for the Canadiens, who have handed the Rangers two of their four losses in regulation this season.
Price stopped 22 shots in the first two periods and was replaced at the start of the third by Mike Condon. After it was over, coach Michel Therrien said Price was sidelined by the same lower-body injury that kept him out for eight games earlier this month. This was his third game back.
Price was the NHL Most Valuable Player and Vezina Trophy winner last season as the league’s top goalie.
Elsewhere, Pittsburgh beat St. Louis 4-3 in overtime, Ottawa held on to defeat Colorado 5-3, Chicago topped San Jose 5-2, and Tampa Bay beat Los Angeles 2-1 in a shootout.
Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin scored 1:03 into overtime and Sidney Crosby broke out with two goals to lead the Penguins.
Malkin took a lead pass from Phil Kessel and beat goaltender Jake Allen on the backhand for his eighth of the season and fifth game-winner.
Crosby scored his fourth and fifth of the season and now has a goal against every NHL team. It was also the first time Crosby scored two regular-season goals since February, a span of 47 games.
Chicago’s Patrick Kane had two assists to extend his career-best scoring streak to 17 games.
Kane set up Brent Seabrook on Chicago’s first goal and also got a helper on Duncan Keith’s second-period goal to give him 28 points during the streak.
In Denver, Shane Prince had two goals and an assist for his first NHL points as Ottawa held on for the victory.
Zack Smith, Kyle Turris and Mika Zibanejad each had a goal and an assist for the Senators, who have won four straight.
Craig Anderson made 20 of his 40 saves in the third period when the Avalanche tried to overcome a three-goal deficit.
Tampa Bay’s Valtteri Filppula scored the game-winning goal in the third round of a shootout against the Kings.
Tampa Bay got a goal from Tyler Johnson, and Ben Bishop made 37 saves through overtime. The Lightning have allowed two regulation goals over the last three games, going 3-0-0.
In other games, Mike Fisher ended Nashville’s team-record scoring drought in the first period as the Predators beat Buffalo 3-2 to end a three-game losing streak. Fisher ended the Predators’ goalless skid at 227:39, and Craig Smith and Cody Hodgson also scored.
Arizona’s Antoine Vermette scored twice as the Coyotes beat Anaheim 4-2, and Frank Vatrano scored his second goal of the game at 3:32 of overtime as the Bruines defeated Detroit 3-2.
Also, Washington beat Winnipeg 5-3, Carolina topped Edmonton 4-1, the New York Islanders defeated Philadelphia 3-1, Columbus edged New Jersey 2-1, and Vancouver held off Minnesota 3-2.
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